Ophthalmic mounting



Jan. 4, 1927.

INVENTOR EL MER L. scm/MCHER )4f Hfdue ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

helma :ELMER L. SCH/ACl-ER, F SOTHBRDGE, MASSACHSET'JS, ASG'NOR T0 .ALMERE- 4CAN OPTCAL CGMPANY, 'OF SOUTECBBDGE MASSACHUSETTS, A VGL'UNTARY' AS- SOCIATION OFMASSAGEIUSETTS,

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

Application filed February 11, 1922. Serial No. 535,6l.

This invention-relates to improvements in ophthalmic mountings, and has .particular reference to mountings formed from a com- -bination of'rnetallic and non-metallic parts.

`One of the problems up to the present `timefinthe-construction ot :trames of this character hasbeen the satisfactory connecting `oruniting ot the `parts in such manner that they will be firmly held together under lo-ialleonditions, and at thesame time the fastenings will be inconspicuous. There have -been fdiiiiculties involved in this due to the lfact that the lzylonite or composition Vmaterial employed is sensitive to changes of temperature,'tending to expand and contract under varying conditions, and also dueto.

theI manner ot' construction. There have 'been inthe past two :general methods ot cons`tructing frames `of this character employed; vthe one makinguse of a. strip ot stoclraround the 'metali liner. V`rihe diiiiculty in fthis connection lies in the fact that this compositionI material, while it .may be -melcledmnd set -in `a certain `position, .has yawtendency whenheated. of resuming its originalforin, thus loosening` up from the devicefinto whichit has been molded.

It is, therefore, the .purgoseand object ot Amy Ainvention-to obviate thesedi'fiiculties and -fprovide a-A construction .l which will remain i9 iii/rm and rigidv under `all conditions, and

which -m'ay either-make use of .inconspicuous fastening-devices, or itvv desired, may dispense with such devices without materially affecting the kpermanence and` durability ot the mounting. yOtherobjects!and advantages of my im- -proved construction should be readily apparent byfreterence to the following specifieationtalren-in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that l may make anyy niodiiications in the specific "detailsot 4construction shown andv l@described within the scope of the appended claims without departingtrom orrexceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure l represents a front `vlevv of a mounting embodying Amy improvements.

Figure ll represents a sectional view as onthe line Ilm-Il otFigure I. i

Figure lll represents a similar view through the fastening devices.

Figure lV represents a sectional vieuT ot the frame taken through'the fastening devices with'the covering removed.

Figure V represents a sideelevation ot the iframe Yas shown inFigure lV.

Figure VI represents a sectional view illustrating one ont the steps inthe process of producing my frame.

Figure VH represents a further view thereof.

Figure Vllll represents an additional step.

Figure IX represents an'alternative'manner of assembling.

Figure X represents a seetion'through a slightly modiied form.

ln the drawings, the numeral ly designates the bridge of an ophthalmic mounting bearingat-each end a lens receiving trame Lprolvided with end pieces 2, the'trame :being split at the ends so that' it may be readily opened for insertion `orfre noval ot the lens 3. l. preferably so shape the 'liramefas .to

Vprovide the lens receiving .groove 4l ,formed by the ypair of depending ribs 5 'of'. the iatytened eye wire 6, which` has portions 7 'eX- tending laterally from the ribs Y 5. 'This shapel provides a substantially fiat eye wire portion around which the' composition: covering 8 may be readily shaped yand brought substantially .flush vwith the. inner edges'oi the ribs 5 so that while the lenswill lit within the groove enclosed by the ribs 5 and be securely held, the ribs themselves will be concealed by the composition coatingor covering. l ypreferably tormthis covering as indicated in Figures Vl yto IX inclusive by iirst eXtruding the composition material in a seamless attened tube 9'o1tfsubstantially the general shape of theirame 6, disregarding Athe ribs 5. ll then suitably mill or cut the slot 10 in this `tube of size to inst receive the ribs 5,and enclosed'groove, atten which l may either, as shown in Figure Vlll, under the iniiuence of heat, open up both of the wings 11 provided by the tit! slot 10, or only one of said wings 11, as

indicated in Figure IX, this opening up 'being just sufficient to permit of the snapping into place of the frame 6 within the tube. After this has taken place l prefer to heat the tube and force it down upon and around the metallic frame member, this forcing down, it will be noted, restoring the tube to substantially its original shape, as will be clearly understood by a comparison of Figures Il and VH, for example. lt will thus be seen that the tube instead of being shaped or molded around the metal, as has been customary in connection with the prior art, starting in with a flat sheet is simply restored to its original form so that any heating act-ion, or the like, will simply7 tend to make the composition material more tightly grip the enclosed metal in place of opening up therefrom.

It is to be understood, however, that l need not depend entirely upon this property of the composition material for retaining it in place, but that l may in addition during the formation of the eye wire, suck or draw up therefrom a plurality of studs or rivets 12, which project adjacent the ribs 5, the material when heated being pressed or molded down onto these studs which will either pierce their way into the composition material or the composition material will be first pierced. ln either event the studs will interlock with the composition material and if desired may be slightly riveted over after the frame is assembled. In this manner the parts are doubly held, first by the inherent resiliency or gripping effect of the composition mat rial itself, and secondly by the employment of the metallic fasteners so that a most durable and satisfactory construction is provided.

The form of construction shown in Figure X is similar to those previously described, with the exception that in this form the ribs are slightly under-cut to receive and interlock with the ends of the composition material, in place of being inwardly bevelled as shown in Figure H, for example. This effect may be produced either by original formation in this shape, or by suitable rolling of the frame while the composition ma terial is still held in the compressing dies, slightly forcing out or flaring the ribs and causing them to most tightly grip and tit against the composition material to aid in retaining it in place.

I claim:

l. The process of producing an ophthalmic mounting consisting` in forming a metallic rim to desired shape, forming by extrusion a tube of composition material in shape corresponding to that of the rim, opening the tube at one side, and snapping the same over the metallic rim whereby it will be held in position by the inherent resilency thereof.

2. A composition rim including a metallic member having a lens receiving groove formed therein and additional grooves formed therein adjacent the lens receiving groove, and a composition covering therefor having its terminal edges fitting into the last mentioned grooves. n

3. in a construction of the character described, the combination with a metal frame member hai/ing a relatively wide and a relatively narrou7 part wherein the narrow part has integral ribs extending inwardly whereby said ribs form the lateral bounds for a central lens ecoe receiving groove at their inward sides and at their outer sides form, in connection with the laterally projecting portions of the frame, additional grooves, and a composition covering surrounding the outer face of the metal frame member and having its edges fitting into said laterally formed grooves.

4. A rim member Yfor an ophthalmic mounting comprising a metallic member having a straight flat outer surface and an inner surface having its outer portion para1- lel to the outer surface, two pointed ribs between the outer portions forming a lens receiving groove between them, and a split non-metallic member surrounding three sides of the metallic member and having its end portions brought over the parallel portions of the inner surface and abutting the pointed ribs, substantially as shown and described.

5. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, an inner metal rim having an inner lens receiving groove of narrower width than the largest cross sectional width of the rim, the groove being joined to the portion of larger cross sectional width by concave walls, and an outer non-metallic rim having wings forming between them an inner annular slot within which the metal rim is seated, the outer portions of the wings being curved, the wall of the slot and the exterior surface of the metal rim being shaped to conform to each other and the curved outer portions of the wings engaging in the concave walls.

An ophthalmic mountingl having in combination an inner metal rim, the cross sectional contour of which comprises a relatively large portion and a relatively small portion, the relatively small portion having an inner lens-receiving groove, substantially plane walls leading from the groove and being joined to the relatively large portion by reentrant angles, and an outer nonmetallic rim having an inner annular slot within which the metal rim is seated, the wall of the slot being shaped to conform to the exterior surface of the metal rim.

.7. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, an inner metal rim the cross sectional contour of which comprises a relatively large portion and a relatively small portion joined together by two reentrant angles, the relatively small portion having an inner lens receiving groove disposed be tween the reentrant angles, and an outer nondnetallic rim having an inner annular slot Within which the metal rim is seated, the Wall or' the slot being shaped to conform to the exterior surface orP the metal rim.

8. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, an inner metal rim having= an inner lens receiving groove of narrower width than the largest cross sectional Width of the rim, the groove being joined to the portion of larger cross sectional Width by walls, the portions of the said portion ad-V jacent to the oining point to the Walls being arc shaped in cross section and merging With the Walls in the form oi reentrant angles, and a split outer rim constituted of nonmetallic material having an inner annular slot Within which the metal rim is seated, the non-metallic material snugly engaging against the arc shaped portions to maintain the rims together.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

E. L. SCHUMACHER. 

